017 ✤ audio

[akito]

[ this is what he gets for using up all of his allotted Waterbending time for the day earlier. but it was too tempting to just play for a bit, and then little kedan children joined in, and... anyway, it's really, really hard to regret it. but he does. just a little bit.

mostly because his Bending is the way he avoids violent confrontation 99% of the time - just freeze a mugger's shoes to the ground and stay out of range and voila! easy avoidance. today, however, that was not an option, and he wasn't about to use a Fang on a couple of older kedan who didn't even look like they wanted to be mugging him. they seemed so reluctant that had Akito any juulan on him to spare he would have given it to them, but they wanted his gem. the one that - according to what he's been told - houses his soul. and no. he wasn't about to give that up.

the thing about Waterbending that Akito misses the most when he doesn't have it is that it gives him a nice, pain-free, long-range method of self-defense. especially when his would-be muggers are carrying some sort of bowie knives and seem to actually know how to use them. which makes his close-combat training a bit disadvantageous, even if he shifts himself some claws.

a roundhouse kick to the scarred one's side earns him a very nice, deep slice to his calf. which is super lame. and kind of hurts. but whatever. what hurts a bit worse is the kedan's partner getting scared and lashing out unpredictably with his own blade and getting him just under the clavicle.

but hey! the violence scared the kedan off. meaning Akito gets to keep all of his stuff without injuring anyone! all for the low low price of a little pain, and ... well, okay. not a little bit of blood.

the Midnight Hotel is the closest place to go to get some help, so he heads in that direction and arrives within a few minutes. because leg pain be damned, he's going to use his A-Ts anyway.

first thing's first though - giving people the head's up on the consoles. while simultaneously asking for some help. ha ha ... ha... ]

...I think someone might have blackmailed some kedan to steal my soul gem from me. I scared them off so they didn't actually take it, but... Be careful when you go out, and try not to travel alone.

[ he sounds more confused than bothered by this. but with that aside- ]

Um, if there are any people competent in first aid in the Midnight Hotel... Ah... If they could please come to the lobby it would be appreciated!

[ he'll clean up all the blood afterwards, Anton! he promises! ): ]

Comments

[akito]

I dunno, but it's sure not me. Every time you do something that makes me mad it's because you just make assumptions and it's-

[ he cuts himself off with a brusque sound of irritation. ]

Who gives a crap how you were raised? I was raised in a cage and forced to maim people for most of my life! That was 'normal' for me but I knew enough to know it was wrong - so I'm not about to do it to anyone else! Yeah, it messed me up, but I don't let it define my entire life! If you let your environment dictate who you are then that's your fault. Especially when you aren't there anymore.

So don't go around implying other people okay with murder just because you think 'wetwork' is the right answer to some scared kedan hurting you. I would rather slit my own damn throat than kill someone for something so stupid!

[ and since you aren't getting the picture and leaving him alone, and akito seems to be the only one who understands that he is not in the best frame of mind for this shit right now - what with the blood loss and overall discomfort. if gene wants to go all emo because akito is pissed gene'd assume he was down with murder, then that's his own problem.

so he gets up with the intention of leaving this stupid hotel and all the stupid jerks in it before he can say anything else he'll regret after he's had a good sleep. he can't help but hiss out one last comment before leaving, however: ]

You of all people in this place should remember that I'm that last person who would ever call someone a piece of trash.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Well, some people don't come with the shonen-protagonist morality chip pre-installed, Akito! Some people are taught that it's their birthright to have the world and everything in it, and to torture and kill to get their way because the world sure as hell ain't gonna give it to you willingly. Some people are taught that the only way to get ahead in the world is to fight and scrap and do whatever you have to do, whatever, to make sure you can live and survive long enough to thrive another day.

Akito may have been raised in a physical cage, but at least he's free of that now and can live his life with relatively few enough mental scars that he can forgive his abuser. Gene's cage had been and still is mental, and it's been broken open, but he's still cutting himself on the iron bars. Even when he tries to do good, like helping his friend when he's been injured, he only does more harm.

All I do is cause harm.]

You're not using those exact words - but that's what you're saying, clear enough, [he says, staring levelly at Akito before the other boy leaves.

It takes until Akito is gone for him to realize he might have used a word he hadn't quite meant. He'd only meant to imply torture, not murder, and he'd come downstairs trying to help, not...get into whatever the fuck that was. Clearly Akito had some shit going on under the hood, but Gene is actually genuinely upset that he'd been the unwitting target for it.]

And you're welcome for the thread, [he mutters to himself, gathering up his sewing kit. See if he ever tries to do you a favor again, Akito.]